Alt
by Red 'Allen' Walker
Summary: Now working for Clockwork, Danny visits an alternate timeline. A one-shot prompt for PhannieMay19 Prompt: Second Gen


Another stad alone sequel to "They Always Lead Somewhere" and "Talks".

\--

It was hard. Really hard.

As soon as he graduated from Casper High, he told his parents he would be moving out. Test it out on his own.

He didn't tell his parents about Phantom. He didn't have the courage to.

Clockwork offered him a job, to work with him as a peacemaker for all the timelines. Phantom didn't mind. He had all eternity to spend. Time worked differently in the Ghost Zone. Sometimes it was fast. Sometimes it was slow. Phantom liked to believe it was normal, just to keep himself sane, and that he only had so much to do. The passing of time cannot be felt in the Ghost Zone.

The ghosts actually took pity on the halfa, they didn't dare bother him, but it didn't mean they stopped visiting.

Ghost hunters did the protecting Amity stuff.

Everything as as fine as they could be.

Clockwork taught him the ropes of watching over the timelines. Especially keeping watch of Dan. Although he could 'intervene', it was only when certain conditions and parameters could be met. Not even when a terrible disaster would occur. Because for all the other timelines to prosper, at the very least, one timeline has to suffer. He wasn't allowed to go hopping around, because his presence would throw everything else off.

Phantom loved watching the lives of very interesting people and ghosts. He would sometimes even bingewatch different series through the screens of different people. He could see different endings, and could watch how those were made. It was the only upside he could see. He steered away from watching the lives of those in Amity Park, since he knew it would only hurt more.

But there was one timeline he couldn't resist.

There was a young girl on the screen. About 12 years old. Waist-length raven black hair, beautiful violet eyes. A red jacket and purple pants. He watched as the girl would race through the park holding a typical checkered cloth and rolling it out on the grass.

A woman, dressed as if she just got out of work and still in a buisness getup sat beside her, opening a spiderbackpack she was holding. She pulls out several dishes, stacked over one another and bound by a nice violet ribbon.

The man beside her laughs. "Really, a ribbon, Sam?"

"Well, I don't see you bringing anything." She snarked back.

"Oh, that's where you're wrong." He grabs his own backpack, and pulls out a large amount of chips.

"Are you serious Danny?!"

"Yes! And I'm hungry!" The little girl answered for him, snatching a paper plate from her mom's hands and a bag of BBQ chips from her dad.

"You know, she gets her personality from you." Danny laughs.

Phantom feels his heartbreak as he checks the logs.

This was the one timeline where he survived the accident, fully human. The one where he aged, married Sam, and had a kid.

He covers his mouth.

It's been years since he left. Decades even. He was old enough to have a kid by now. But here he was. Still fourteen.

He feels his floating disappear, he felt weak, he wanted to phase through the floor. Fly around the Ghost Zone for a while. He feels the sensation of phasing through...

... and crashes into cloth.

He looks up to see an older himself at him, wide-eyed.

"Uh." _Frick_. "Uh! Sorry! I didn't mean to crash your picnic!" He covers his face. Sam and the kid wasn't there, and with his advanced hearing he could here them walking away talking about getting some ice cream.

He was about to fly away, find a way back to the Ghost Zone before his appearance messes everything up in the timeline when he hears a yell.

"Wait!" The older Danny speaks. "Wait, who are you?"

"I...uh... I'm..." He stammered. "I'm Phantom."

"You're a ghost." Danny processed. "My parents were right!" He exclaimed.

"Uh, yeah, they uh, were."

Danny squinted his eyes. "You look like me."

Phantom scoffed. "Excuse you? I'm pretty sure I don't look like a 40 year old." He spoke, sounding very bitter. He was talking to an older version of himself!

"No!" Danny immediately cleared. "When I was... younger. Do I know you?" Danny scanned the toxic green eyes, taking in every detail of the ghost's face trying to find a difference. "Are we related?" He didn't remember relatives dying recently.

"Uh, kinda?" Phantom cringed. Should he tell himself? This was a very awkward, very stressful encounter. He wanted to fly away and get back -- wait, this place didn't have a working ghost portal, did it?

"Wait, did your parents get the Fenton portal working?"

Danny looked taken aback by the question. "No, they didn't. And how do you know that?" He looked defensive.

"Wait, but is it still there?" He can't go back without a portal.

Danny's eyes narrowed. "We didn't have enough funds to take it down. Now answer my question, how do you know about me and the portal?"

Phantom sighed. He didn't not want to talk about this. He floated down from the air, and landed on the ground.

"Do you remember that time when went in and got electrocuted in that portal?"

Danny looked suspicious.

"I... I'm... I'm you. From back then. In an alternate timeline. I-- I... died." He didn't want to talk about being a halfa. It made things way too difficult. He transformed into hus human half. A t-shirt with red cuffs and a red oval. Faded jeans. Worn down red shoes. He hears Danny gasp.

"Look, I just want to get back to the ghost zone. That's where we ghosts live. Not exactly 'live' but that's where we stay."

"I can get you to our portal. I'm not sure if it will work, since it's faulty. But not right now. I kinda have a picnic with Sam and Elle."

"Oh, I could wait." Phantom smiles. "So her name's Elle, huh?" He looks at the two approaching from the far distance. "Wait, lemme go invis for a sec. I don't want to get spotted." Then he vanished.

"That is cool." Danny mutters to himself. He looks at Sam and Elle as they come up and sit down in front of him. "Hey, sweetie, what flavor did you get?"

"I got the mint one." She puts out the cone towards him to show him the color.

Phantom smiled. It was his favorite too.

He only watched as the happy family finished all their food (sweets in Elle's case, a mix of chips and Sam's homecooked food in Danny and Sam's case).

Danny excused himself as soon as they got home.

"Sorry, something came up with my parent's inventions in the old basement. I have to check it apparently."

Sam looked suspicious, but let it slide.

They moved houses when they married. They stayed at Amity, but chose a nice new spot for their new home. Danny felt nostalgic as they jogged towards the old FentonWorks.

No-one wanted to but the old house/building. So Danny took care of it. They didn't want to move back, since they've just finished their new house.

Danny unlocked the door and headed towards the basement.

Danny hesitated on the steps. "Wait, before we... get you back, can I ask you some questions?"

Phantom nodded.

"What is it like being a ghost?"

"Oh, it's not all that bad, it's just... a bit... lonely sometimes. You get to 'live' forever. And you... live longer than your loved ones."

Danny nodded.

"Also, I'm kind of a superhero."

"Wait what?"

"I'm kinda a superhero."

Danny looks at him wide eyed.

"Yes way." Phantom nods to himself.

"What's that like?"

"A lot of sleepless nights, school problems, but its the best feeling in the world. Saving people important to you, protecting them..." He hadn't felt that in years.

"...Can I ask you some questions too?"

"Sure?"

"What's your job?"

"Oh, it's our dream job actually. I just got back." He smiled and Phantom felt a strange emotion in his chest. Pride? Happiness? Envy?

"Really?!"

"Yes, really."

"What's Sam like nowadays?"

"Oh, she's very strict with the meals. You know, typical Sam. I'm the one who feeds Elle actual food not grass. Sometimes. Nothing's really changed much about her really."

"What's it like to have... a family of your own?" Phantom bit his lip.

"It's really scary at first, and it still is, especially when you're with Sam, but the upsides make up for everything. Elle's an absolute delight. Has a bit of a personality, but she's precious."

"Yeah, I can see."

When they decided there were enough questions, Danny moved on forward. He flicks the light switches, and low and behold, their parent's old lab. Looking like it hadn't been touched at all.

"I like to keep it clean." Danny rubbed his neck sheepishly. Apparently he hadn't lost the habit.

"I know the switch is here somewhere..."

"Wait, turn it off first!" Phantom appeared from behind him, startling Danny.

"There's a second switch inside the portal, and I do not want to be zapped again." Both Danny's shivered.

Danny flicked off the power in the first switch while Phantom pressed the ON button. It felt weird. This was one thing that threw this whole thing off balance. The thing that started his half-life journey. It also felt weird to see it from the inside all empty. Turned off. It was always green, and he almost never saw the inside before.

He quickly flew out.

"Now, I just want you to remember this. When I go through that portal, turn it off immediately or ghosts will attack this place. Your timeline hasn't seen ghosts before, and your parents weapons aren't really upgraded. So when I pass through, close it off as soon as possible. Okay?"

"Got it."

Phantom floated right in front of the portal.

Danny flicked the switch.

As the portal roared to life, Phantom looked back.

"Hey, Danny?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For letting me meet Elle. And Sam. And you. Give them the best life alright? I'll always be watching."

He flies through the portal, spinning with glee. He turns back to see it close. Cutting off all contact with the Ghost Zone.

Phantom flurries back to his workstation, and heads for the screen. He watches as the older Danny smiles to himself and disappears up the stairs.

"Danny," Clockwork whispered behind him.

Danny smiled.

"Hey, Clockwork, you think Amity would take kindly to Phantom reappearing, say, 20 years later?"

\--

Idk how to Danny a different Danny. idk how to do anything. idk now.


End file.
